I joined the LSE PPG in December 2007 as Editor/Researcher and have worked on the long-standing hot review contract with the National Audit Office, done review work for the European Court of Auditors, and am now the Managing Editor of the British Politics and Policy at LSE blog. Before this, I worked for three years at the Department of Health, firstly as a Correspondence Officer and then as a Freedom of Information Officer. I have an undergraduate and a Masters degree in Geography, and a postgraduate diploma in Strategic Management, all from the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
The Risk and Regulation Advisory Council, available at: www. berr. gov. uk/deliverypartners/list/rrac/index. html, Oct 1, 2009
Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accoun... more Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accounts in the House of Commons (hereafter PAC) are the two key institutions in the state-audit framework in the UK and English central government. They play important roles in defining the 'risk landscape'for public policy-making, both in the sphere of government and regulation and in wider society in general. This paper explores how the two institutions inter-relate with one another in the area of risk.
In our most recent polling measures, the 'Other'category has recently been polling at 14 per cent... more In our most recent polling measures, the 'Other'category has recently been polling at 14 per cent across a range of polls, and often higher. The combined support for UKIP, the Greens, the BNP and the Nationalists in Scotland and Wales has rarely fallen below 12 per cent in any recent polls.
In the wake of the financial and economic crisis, freedom of movement is under attack in the EU. ... more In the wake of the financial and economic crisis, freedom of movement is under attack in the EU. The Centre for European Reform explores why and outlines the reasons why France may leave the Schengen area. However, each Member State–including the United Kingdom–is reliant on the EU. The Honeyball Buzz is still surprised that David Cameron admits Great Britain's dependence on exports to the Eurozone.
Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Inte... more Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Internet. In an interview with EUROPP editors Chris Gilson and Julian Kirchherr Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet recommends e-voting to other Member States of the European Union as well, arguing that it is convenient and increases turnout, particularly among the young.
Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Inte... more Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Internet. In an interview with EUROPP editors Chris Gilson and Julian Kirchherr Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet recommends e-voting to other Member States of the European Union as well, arguing that it is convenient and increases turnout, particularly among the young.
Blog discusses China's dispute with the EU, Japan and the United States over the tariffs and expo... more Blog discusses China's dispute with the EU, Japan and the United States over the tariffs and export quotas on rare earths. The authors find that rare earths are nothing worth fighting for. Later, Charlemagne wonders whether or not a new European Commission proposal to give itself the power to close public-procurement markets to companies from countries deemed not to reciprocate in allowing European firms to compete for their public contracts is to protect the EU's trade, or to help Nicolas Sarkozy in his election campaign.
One possible explanation of declining voter turnout in recent UK elections, and of the movement f... more One possible explanation of declining voter turnout in recent UK elections, and of the movement for voters to support smaller parties, is that voters are unhappy with the unfairness or disproportionality of the British voting system at general elections. The UK has seen historically high levels of disproportionality in how votes are reflected in Parliamentary seats, as the “first past the post” method of counting votes fails to adapt to the electorate wanting to back more and more parties over time.
Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accoun... more Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accounts in the House of Commons (hereafter PAC) are the two key institutions in the state-audit framework in the UK and English central government. They play important roles in defining the 'risk landscape'for public policy-making, both in the sphere of government and regulation and in wider society in general. This paper explores how the two institutions inter-relate with one another in the area of risk.
In August, Patrick Dunleavy blogged that every key 'Westminster model'country now had a hung Parl... more In August, Patrick Dunleavy blogged that every key 'Westminster model'country now had a hung Parliament, following Australia's election. With a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote for House of Commons elections due in May 2011, and the coalition government due to announce plans for replacing the House of Lords with a PR-elected chamber in January, there is a real prospect that Britain's future constitutional and electoral arrangements may look thoroughly Australian in their design.
The European Commission has launched a new program for employment which is supposed to create mor... more The European Commission has launched a new program for employment which is supposed to create more than 17 million jobs, reports PressEurop. Europe needs this many jobs because 17 million people are currently unemployed in the EU. Hence, economic growth is the theme for the spring, argues Michael Berendt on BlogActiv. eu.
“The allocation of EU structural funding is not only determined by economic and social needs. It ... more “The allocation of EU structural funding is not only determined by economic and social needs. It is also a political game,” argued Achim Kemmerling this week on LSE EUROPP. Polscieu points out that findings by Lisa Maria Dellmuth imply the opposite and wonders why Kemmerling has not addressed these contradictions. Kemmerling's reply:“The data is not good enough.”
The Open Europe Blog welcomes the fact that Germany is now gearing up for a major debate about th... more The Open Europe Blog welcomes the fact that Germany is now gearing up for a major debate about the future of Europe, as Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calls for a European constitution and a directly elected European President. The blog argues that the United Kingdom should listen to these ideas and overcome its Euroscepticism. The European Council on Foreign Relations ponders why Berlin is so fixed on a German solution to the Eurozone crisis.
In his weekly round-up, Ron at Bloggingportal. eu says that everyone in the EU is under fire, cit... more In his weekly round-up, Ron at Bloggingportal. eu says that everyone in the EU is under fire, citing attacks on the European Parliament by former UK Labour Minister, Jack Straw (for more on which see Simon Hix here on EUROPP on Monday 5 March). There have also been strong criticisms of the European Council for its indecisiveness and of pro-ACTA supporters (backing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreements aimed to enforce international intellectual property rights) for their lack of transparency.
Following this week's the launch of EUROPP–an academic blog investigating matters of European Pol... more Following this week's the launch of EUROPP–an academic blog investigating matters of European Politics and Policy–Patrick Dunleavy and Chris Gilson (also the creators of this blog!) discuss social scientists' obligation to spread their research to the wider world and how blogging can help academics break out of restrictive publishing loops.
After Argentina's recent expropriation of the Spanish energy firm, YPF, NpThinking, looks at the ... more After Argentina's recent expropriation of the Spanish energy firm, YPF, NpThinking, looks at the policy issues and the European Parliament's response, while the Fride Blog maintains that the current Ibero-American rhetoric needs to be replaced with a Spanish foreign policy towards Latin America.
PPG undertakes pure and applied research, policy evaluation and consultancy for government bodies... more PPG undertakes pure and applied research, policy evaluation and consultancy for government bodies, international organizations and major corporations active in the fields of policy evaluation, public management, budgeting and audit, and egovernment, survey or focus group research, public opinion, and the design of election systems.
Concerns about a “brain drain” are expressed when the number of people leaving a country exceeds ... more Concerns about a “brain drain” are expressed when the number of people leaving a country exceeds the number entering. This is what happened in New Zealand in the last few months of 2000 and the beginning of 2001. In fact the concern was so great that the Government sponsored Catching the Knowledge Wave, a conference in August 2001, when considerable attention was focussed on initiatives to attract “talent” to New Zealand (Ho 2001).
Ministers clearly believe that harsh sentences for those convicted in the recent disorder, and th... more Ministers clearly believe that harsh sentences for those convicted in the recent disorder, and the arrest and prosecution of those involved (even in minor ways) will create strong disincentives for future potential rioters. The government has also found like-minded judges, magistrates and prosecutors to give added impetus to this push in the immediate riot aftermath. But Chris Gilson points to voices suggesting a significant downside.
The Risk and Regulation Advisory Council, available at: www. berr. gov. uk/deliverypartners/list/rrac/index. html, Oct 1, 2009
Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accoun... more Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accounts in the House of Commons (hereafter PAC) are the two key institutions in the state-audit framework in the UK and English central government. They play important roles in defining the 'risk landscape'for public policy-making, both in the sphere of government and regulation and in wider society in general. This paper explores how the two institutions inter-relate with one another in the area of risk.
In our most recent polling measures, the 'Other'category has recently been polling at 14 per cent... more In our most recent polling measures, the 'Other'category has recently been polling at 14 per cent across a range of polls, and often higher. The combined support for UKIP, the Greens, the BNP and the Nationalists in Scotland and Wales has rarely fallen below 12 per cent in any recent polls.
In the wake of the financial and economic crisis, freedom of movement is under attack in the EU. ... more In the wake of the financial and economic crisis, freedom of movement is under attack in the EU. The Centre for European Reform explores why and outlines the reasons why France may leave the Schengen area. However, each Member State–including the United Kingdom–is reliant on the EU. The Honeyball Buzz is still surprised that David Cameron admits Great Britain's dependence on exports to the Eurozone.
Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Inte... more Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Internet. In an interview with EUROPP editors Chris Gilson and Julian Kirchherr Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet recommends e-voting to other Member States of the European Union as well, arguing that it is convenient and increases turnout, particularly among the young.
Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Inte... more Estonia was the first nation in the world to hold legally binding general elections over the Internet. In an interview with EUROPP editors Chris Gilson and Julian Kirchherr Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Paet recommends e-voting to other Member States of the European Union as well, arguing that it is convenient and increases turnout, particularly among the young.
Blog discusses China's dispute with the EU, Japan and the United States over the tariffs and expo... more Blog discusses China's dispute with the EU, Japan and the United States over the tariffs and export quotas on rare earths. The authors find that rare earths are nothing worth fighting for. Later, Charlemagne wonders whether or not a new European Commission proposal to give itself the power to close public-procurement markets to companies from countries deemed not to reciprocate in allowing European firms to compete for their public contracts is to protect the EU's trade, or to help Nicolas Sarkozy in his election campaign.
One possible explanation of declining voter turnout in recent UK elections, and of the movement f... more One possible explanation of declining voter turnout in recent UK elections, and of the movement for voters to support smaller parties, is that voters are unhappy with the unfairness or disproportionality of the British voting system at general elections. The UK has seen historically high levels of disproportionality in how votes are reflected in Parliamentary seats, as the “first past the post” method of counting votes fails to adapt to the electorate wanting to back more and more parties over time.
Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accoun... more Executive Summary 1. The National Audit Office (hereafter NAO) and the Committee of Public Accounts in the House of Commons (hereafter PAC) are the two key institutions in the state-audit framework in the UK and English central government. They play important roles in defining the 'risk landscape'for public policy-making, both in the sphere of government and regulation and in wider society in general. This paper explores how the two institutions inter-relate with one another in the area of risk.
In August, Patrick Dunleavy blogged that every key 'Westminster model'country now had a hung Parl... more In August, Patrick Dunleavy blogged that every key 'Westminster model'country now had a hung Parliament, following Australia's election. With a referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote for House of Commons elections due in May 2011, and the coalition government due to announce plans for replacing the House of Lords with a PR-elected chamber in January, there is a real prospect that Britain's future constitutional and electoral arrangements may look thoroughly Australian in their design.
The European Commission has launched a new program for employment which is supposed to create mor... more The European Commission has launched a new program for employment which is supposed to create more than 17 million jobs, reports PressEurop. Europe needs this many jobs because 17 million people are currently unemployed in the EU. Hence, economic growth is the theme for the spring, argues Michael Berendt on BlogActiv. eu.
“The allocation of EU structural funding is not only determined by economic and social needs. It ... more “The allocation of EU structural funding is not only determined by economic and social needs. It is also a political game,” argued Achim Kemmerling this week on LSE EUROPP. Polscieu points out that findings by Lisa Maria Dellmuth imply the opposite and wonders why Kemmerling has not addressed these contradictions. Kemmerling's reply:“The data is not good enough.”
The Open Europe Blog welcomes the fact that Germany is now gearing up for a major debate about th... more The Open Europe Blog welcomes the fact that Germany is now gearing up for a major debate about the future of Europe, as Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calls for a European constitution and a directly elected European President. The blog argues that the United Kingdom should listen to these ideas and overcome its Euroscepticism. The European Council on Foreign Relations ponders why Berlin is so fixed on a German solution to the Eurozone crisis.
In his weekly round-up, Ron at Bloggingportal. eu says that everyone in the EU is under fire, cit... more In his weekly round-up, Ron at Bloggingportal. eu says that everyone in the EU is under fire, citing attacks on the European Parliament by former UK Labour Minister, Jack Straw (for more on which see Simon Hix here on EUROPP on Monday 5 March). There have also been strong criticisms of the European Council for its indecisiveness and of pro-ACTA supporters (backing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreements aimed to enforce international intellectual property rights) for their lack of transparency.
Following this week's the launch of EUROPP–an academic blog investigating matters of European Pol... more Following this week's the launch of EUROPP–an academic blog investigating matters of European Politics and Policy–Patrick Dunleavy and Chris Gilson (also the creators of this blog!) discuss social scientists' obligation to spread their research to the wider world and how blogging can help academics break out of restrictive publishing loops.
After Argentina's recent expropriation of the Spanish energy firm, YPF, NpThinking, looks at the ... more After Argentina's recent expropriation of the Spanish energy firm, YPF, NpThinking, looks at the policy issues and the European Parliament's response, while the Fride Blog maintains that the current Ibero-American rhetoric needs to be replaced with a Spanish foreign policy towards Latin America.
PPG undertakes pure and applied research, policy evaluation and consultancy for government bodies... more PPG undertakes pure and applied research, policy evaluation and consultancy for government bodies, international organizations and major corporations active in the fields of policy evaluation, public management, budgeting and audit, and egovernment, survey or focus group research, public opinion, and the design of election systems.
Concerns about a “brain drain” are expressed when the number of people leaving a country exceeds ... more Concerns about a “brain drain” are expressed when the number of people leaving a country exceeds the number entering. This is what happened in New Zealand in the last few months of 2000 and the beginning of 2001. In fact the concern was so great that the Government sponsored Catching the Knowledge Wave, a conference in August 2001, when considerable attention was focussed on initiatives to attract “talent” to New Zealand (Ho 2001).
Ministers clearly believe that harsh sentences for those convicted in the recent disorder, and th... more Ministers clearly believe that harsh sentences for those convicted in the recent disorder, and the arrest and prosecution of those involved (even in minor ways) will create strong disincentives for future potential rioters. The government has also found like-minded judges, magistrates and prosecutors to give added impetus to this push in the immediate riot aftermath. But Chris Gilson points to voices suggesting a significant downside.
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